lens louse

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A person who tries to get into photographs for the sake of publicity.

Register: derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Not all the lens lice are in front of the camera. The old "front page" tradition still lingers in our business. There are enough bald-headed, cigar-smoking, visor-decked, hard-drinking city editors to keep the legend alive inside the newsroom.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “lens louse” mean?

A person who tries to get into photographs for the sake of publicity.

Is “lens louse” formal or informal?

lens louse is generally derogatory, slang.